There are many thing that can cause the engine to not crank over when turning the ignition key. Read the most common causes below.
A Dead Battery
Batteries can fail at any time. Sometimes there is no warning, others times you may notice that the car is turning over slower and slower over the course of a few days or weeks. This may be because the battery is getting weaker and weaker, or you may have a charging system problem.
Another cause could be that there is a drain on the battery when the vehicle is not running. If a component were to stay powered up over night, this would cause the battery to be dead in the morning. A faulty computer module, sticking relay, lights left on etc. could cause this. Although in today's cars and trucks, lights staying on is very rare since a module will detect this and shut the light (s) off automatically. A"Load Test" needs to be performed to check the ability of it to supply enough voltage and current to turn the stater.
Starter System
The starter is another part that can just fail at any time, as well as show signs of starting to go bad by cranking slowly, similar to a battery problem. To test a starter, a "Starter Draw Test" would need to be done. This test checks the current draw of the starter to see if it is the cause of slow cranking. If it does not turn over at all, and the battery tests good, then there are several reasons for this.
- A faulty Neutral Safety Switch- Also know as the Park / Neutral Switch
- A Theft / Security system problem
- Ignition Switch
- Corrosion or loose cables
- Blown Fuse(s)
- Bad starter / crank relay (if equipped)
